Carpenter’s Pencil Tip

Most handymen use utility knives or pocketknives to put points on carpenter pencils. They whittle away the wood to expose a blunt stub of lead, which produces a sturdy marker but not one

capable of producing a fine line. Club member and woodworker Jerry Whitfield of Bowling Green, Ohio, has a better way. He makes four passes, one for each edge, with a sharp chisel. This not only puts a clean bevel on the wood but also pares the lead itself to a perfect wedge. The chisel must be sharp for this technique to work.